The Oti Regional Minister, Nana Kwesi Owusu Yeboah, has cautioned cocoa farmers in the region to desist from smuggling cocoa beans to neighbouring Togo.
He noted that such practice is not only illegal and unpatriotic, but also a drain on the country’s revenue.
Nana Owusu Yeboah gave the caution when he met the chiefs and people of Kedjebi, during a familiarization tour of the Oti region.
Cocoa smuggling has over the years been a practice in farming communities in the Oti region, along the Ghana- Togo border. Efforts by government to stop the practice have not yielded positive results, due to the seemingly lucrative nature of the business and several unapproved roots unmanned by security forces along the border.
The Oti Regional Minister, Nana Kwesi Owusu Yeboah, said the security agencies efforts at sealing the leakages continue to fail, because the perpetrators reside in the communities.
He said it will require the commitment of the traditional leaders and individuals to flash out the smugglers. He called on the Assembly and the Unit Committee members, to be vigilant and apprehend those who smuggle cocoa across the county’s borders and illegal routes to neighboring countries.
The Oti Regional Minister, urged traditional leaders in the area to resolve all chieftancy disputes for accelerated socio-economic development.
The occasion was also used to inaugurate an ambulance bay for the Akan constituency in the district. The construction of the facility was started in 2016 and completed by the current government using the district development fund.
